The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-02-09
old Sandy completely on his beam ends.

' NN S"'Su COW, WHICH, tn0uRn cruel
.ly inadequate out thcro on the wind
swept streets even when he had been
weather boarded with his wooden advcr-
tiscments, would doubtless present a
luxurious contract for the Nudge to the
Trlnklcd and GRUMPY quilt that he was
then envclopnd in.
He did it rather clunsily, but the
hldge was no pampcrcd darling OF for
aine and allowed himself to be rolled
face downward and incased in old
Sandy's coat without protest. Only
once he gave n sigh Of relief when he
vas finally hoistcd high up and laid
against Sandy's restless breast, with his
small hot head resting on the old mans
%uncoatcd shoulder. When old Sandy
began TO creak sobcrly backward and
orward over the bare floor in his vocal
shoes, the canary birds, concluding by
This time either that he was y harmless
sort OF monster whose presence should
Ht be allowed to curtail their enjoy
Aent OF the sunshine, or else that the
SoundB emitted by those shoes must be
drowned at all hazards, began singing
again with all the capacity of six little
yellow Threats. Sandy quite approved
OF this performance on their part, and
~stationing himself in the very broadest
sunbeam he could find he turned his
back toward Che cages SO RS to bring the
MidScs weakened face close to the pretty
things singing there 30 airily in the sun
shine. and singing IS if there had never
had a heart achcd or broken in all this
hard world. Purity burds singing for
Midget"
He said it very pcrsuasivcly but the
Nudge signilicd his ~disapproyal of this
halt by bringing his small, cold feet
into ~convulsive contact with Sandy's
stomach, and clutching fccbly ut the
shirt collar against which one hot little
claw rested.
I'm an idiot, Nudge, OF course I am.
What's the purity birds to you when you
amt ever been out of sight or hearing
OF heir everlasting wobbling2 But
there! money is in en-, Nudge. | won
der where she is all this time" and full
OF contrition for his error in Judgment
old Sandy resumed his tramp while the
Nudge lay motionlcss in his inexperienced
arms. 1t seemed to him a very long
time that he crcaked up and down that
bare hoored with the Midgc's little
hot head resting OH his shoulder. Long
enough for him to make n great many
sombcr reflections on the barrcnness OF
its appointments. He had never seen it
before by daylight. He had ALWAYS
come OF evenings, when lac was legiti-
mately freed from his boards and was ut
liberty to look after Jim's wife and boy,
as hchad promised faithfully to do when
jim, poor fellow, had died nearly a year
gone now. 1t hadn't been much OF AN
undertaking nor at all unpleasant, for
Jlm's wife was n nice little creature. and
1T had shortened many an evening for
old Sandy to sit in the room where the
cooking stove II the baby's cradle and
the high swung canarybirds' cages were
all equally at home, and watch Jim's
wife at her sewing. She was always
busy and neat II trim when old Sandy
came, and careful Of the Nudge, too, and
that was what made it SO hard to under
stand what looked like such cruel NEGLECT
on her part now. lie didn't deny It to
himself that a little later on. when Jim's
memory had grown les green, he would
like to ask Jim's wife TO be his wife and
Jinis boy should be his boy.
Presently the door opened and Jim's
wife TODD where Sandy himself had
stood ahoit half an hour earlier. She
was very pretty; especially at that mo-
mcnt, with her large, wondering eyes
fixed on old Sandy anda flush from hur-
red walking or some other cause dycinp
her checks "a bright red.
You here this time Of day2" she said
with moro OF wonder than gratitude in
her voice, and stepping aside she dropped
a large paper parcel on the old trunk be-
hind the bed head.
Old Sandy looked at her apologeti-
cally: lie seemed so bad last night, you
know, thought I'd Il up and ask
after him. didn't think to stop so long.
but finding him alone
Jim's wife had all this timo been get
ting out OF her bonnet and rather smart
looking new walking jacket. She an
swcrcd testify with her back to him:
Yes. l ran out for a minute to do
an GRAND and borrow u coal OF fire from
Mrs. Merric across the hall. / made a
good sale of five birds to-day"
And forgot the coal Of fre''--old
Sandy was regarding the new fnery
with gloomy eycs-'th, Nudge was
most froze when l got here"
Il can get it now" the girl answered
with flushing cheeks, and started once
more toward tho den. Something in the
Midgc's looks, however, caused her to
stop and look hard at the small white
face resting on old Sandy's shoulder.
She took q step nearer to him, then
stopped and gasped:
is he aslcePt' Sandy asked, very
softly.
Lay him down in the bed" she an
swercd in n strange, quick way that
caused Sandy to obey without question:
ing. The Nudge didnot object. Yes, he
was asleep. Dreamlcssly, painlcssly and
forever. Il reckon jim sortcr pine. COR
him." said old Sandy quietly, when
there was no longer any room to hopo
that tho Nudge would ever wake UP
again, and 1 expect it's best so. TSis
world was too much for him" 1t camo
back to him later on, that when ha had
stood in tho broad sunbeam beneath the
bird cages, how the Midge had clutched